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What is a related text for? (1 Viewer)

qwert73

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I'm starting HSC advanced english and I need to find a related text, what are they used for and how often will you use it in essays?
Also would the book need to be clearly showing discovery or are you able to kind of make stuff up/show your own interpretation.
 

Whovian99

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"Discovery can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed. Discoveries can be sudden and unexpected, or they can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder. Discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual. They can also be confronting and provocative. They can lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ideas, and enable us to speculate about future possibilities. Discoveries and discovering can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves and others.

An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values. The impact of these discoveries can be far-reaching and transformative for the individual and for broader society. Discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives and their worth may be reassessed over time. The ramifications of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds.

By exploring the concept of discovery, students can understand how texts have the potential to affirm or challenge individuals’ or more widely-held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience and the world. Through composing and responding to a wide range of texts, students may make discoveries about people, relationships, societies, places and events and generate new ideas. By synthesising perspectives, students may deepen their understanding of the concept of discovery. Students consider the ways composers may invite them to experience discovery through their texts and explore how the process of discovering is represented using a variety of language modes, forms and features."

This is taken directly from the syllabus and is something you need to ensure that you're related text follows: meaning, it needs to contain at least one idea as listed in the above.
A related text is always used and demonstrates your own broader understanding of the given concept or area of study and of course, needs to be related to area of study.
 

crowley926

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what are they used for and how often will you use it in essays?
They're so students can show their depth of knowledge and understanding of the rubric by applying the concerns of the module (without a teacher feeding them ideas) into other texts (probably also to encourage wide reading).

2/4 modules will require you to find your own related texts: discovery (which is actually AOS) and Module C. In these essays, half of it will be your related (i.e. in an essay of 4 body paragraphs, the first two will be on prescribed and the last two will be on your related). The number of related texts you need does vary but they can ask for either just one or two so it would be a good idea to prepare for both scenarios.

would the book need to be clearly showing discovery or are you able to kind of make stuff up/show your own interpretation.
The beauty about related texts is you talk entirely about your own interpretation of how the text exemplifies the ideas of a certain module. But of course, your ideas must still be strongly supported by textual evidence so they can't be too far-fetched.

Word of warning though, it is better to avoid more popular/heavily-read texts (e.g. Shakespeare, classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies) because English teachers can analyse the shit out of that so if they consider your own analysis as subpar or insufficiently supported by the text then they will probably view your essay more negatively.

And obviously you want to show that you can handle sophisticated texts by yourself so avoid Disney or children's animations, children's books, Harry Potter etc

Oh PS you can't use a prescribed text as a related even if you didn't study it in class (even if it's a Standard or Extension prescribed text) because you could have just taken notes from someone else's class
 
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